President fondly recalls the groundbreaking work of Sr Stan in Kilkenny

Tributes have been paid across Ireland to social justice campaigner and Focus Ireland founder Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, who has died aged 86.

Known affectionately as Sr Stan, she devoted her life to tackling homelessness and inequality, and that journey of service began in Kilkenny.

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Born Treasa Kennedy in 1939 on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Sr Stan joined the Religious Sisters of Charity in 1958, inspired by the work of the order’s founder, Mary Aikenhead.

In Kilkenny, Sr Stan worked alongside Bishop Dr Peter Birch, helping to set up Kilkenny Social Services.

Outgoing President Michael D Higgins said he would always associate Sr Stan with her work in Kilkenny in the 1970s, when the issue of poverty in Ireland was brought to national attention.

“I will always associate her with 1974, when in Kilkenny with my colleague the late Séamus Ó Cinnéide and others, they read papers on poverty in Ireland, described in the media as ‘the discovery of poverty in Ireland’,” President Higgins said.

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He said Sr Stan “was a committed campaigner for the vulnerable and marginalised in our society, and a fearless advocate for human rights and equality.”

Moving to Dublin in the early 1980s, she turned her attention to homelessness. In 1985, she founded Focus Point, now Focus Ireland, which became the largest voluntary organisation helping people to find, create and maintain a home in Ireland.

She later founded The Sanctuary in 1998, a meditation and spirituality centre in Dublin; the Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI) in 2001; and Young Social Innovators (YSI) in 2021.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Sr Stan was “a passionate advocate for helping those in need.”

“I met her many times over the years and always admired her tireless advocacy and her ability to inform policy,” he said.

“She had great energy. She was a true Christian who dedicated her life to helping those on the margins.”

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Focus Ireland chief executive Pat Dennigan said staff were “heartbroken” at the death of their founder and Life President.

The Religious Sisters of Charity said she “was a powerful voice for compassion, equality, and systemic change throughout her life.”

From Kerry to Kilkenny to her lifelong service to those in need, Sr Stan’s influence continues to be felt through the organisations she founded and the lives she transformed.

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Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis.